Method for permanently affixing lettering on enameled surfaces



June 10, 1924. 1,497,539

. G A..BONE

METHOD FOR PERMANENTLY AFFIXING LETTERING ON ENAMELED SURFACES Filed March 29, 1924 "qH lmm mlllnl mm mllnmn VA RN/SH- CONTAIN/N6 E NAME L ED SURF? CE BEFORE HEAT/N6 awe "tow George 1 1 B 26,

Patented June 10, I924.

r 1,491,539 PATENT orgies.

GEORGE A. BONE, OF WACO, TEX AS.

METHOD FOR PERMAN'ENILY AFFIXING LETTERING 0N ENAMELED SURFACES.

Application filed March 29, 1924. Serial No. 703,002.

To 0?? whom it may conmi'n: Be 1t known that I, GEoncE A. BONE, a

citizen of the, United States, residing at,

Waco,-in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods for Permanently Aflixin Lettering on Enameled Surfaces, of whic the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the application of letters, figures, designs, trademarks and other data as well as color, by hand painting, stenciling and printing, to the hard and glossy surface of enameled waterproofed fabrics and the like, and the prime object of the invention is to obtain a permanent bond between the letters or other data and the enameled surface such as will withstand the efl'ects of the weather, washing, handling and general and even unusual wear and tea Because of the hard and glossy surface and the lack of porosity of enameled waterproofed fabrics and the like, letters, designs and the like When hand painted, stenciled or printed thereon adhere but slightly to such hard surface, and consequently the letters 'can be readily scratched, and therefore ordinary wear and tear, washing and the effects of the weather soon cause the letters to peel off.

The most satisfactory manner of applying letters and the like of course is by printing due to the rapidity of printing operations, but matter printed on enameled surfaces is the least satisfactory. My invention enables the use of the printing press for applying the letters or other matter because of the subsequent treatment whereby I effect a permanent bond between the letters andthe enameled surface.

While my invention is of general application, an important specific use to which it mav be put is in the application of names, trade-marks and other data to covers for spare tires carried by automobiles.

In carrying out my invention I take any common or well known enameled waterproofed fabric, such for instance as is employed in the making of spare tire covers, and I apply the color thereto in any manner to produce letters. designs or the like or to produce a blank panel thereon. and then the material is permitted to stand until the color has become thoroughly dried. after which the article is subjected to heat sufficient to soften the enamel coating or surface, and then the material is permitted to cool at atmospheric temperature, when it willbe found that the color has become strongly bonded to the enameled surface and will effectually withstand scratching, washing, the effects of the weather as Well as hard usage.

This strong bond which is brought about by the heating of the enameled surface to softness is due to the presence of varnish in the enamel coating, which varnish be-' comes soft under the action of the heat and when it subsequently dries and hardens it holds the color, such as ink, paint or the like to the enameled surface in what is in effect an integral and therefore a permanent bond. In other words the varnish becomes fused and thereby produces the integral bond between the color. and the enamel coating. \Vhile the varnish ordinarily present in the enameled coating is sufiicient to produce an effective bond, I prefer to include a small amount of varnish in the color employed, and thereby add to the strength of the bond by bonding the varnish of the enamel with i the varnish of the color.

While heat may be applied to the enameled water-proofed material in any suitable manner, I have found that a satisfactory way of applying the heat is to place the material upon a hot plate with the enameled surface of the material uppermost. The hot plate may be heated by gas burners or other heating means located immediately below the plate. Just as soon as the enameled surface becomes softened to a sticky or tacky condition, which can easily be determined by touching the surface and which is also readily observable to the eye, the material is removed from the hot plate and set aside to cool off and dry. Of course the sheets of material should not be piled one upon the other as they are removed from the hot plate because the softened enamel surfaces would stick to the underside of the superimposed sheets of material.

From the foregoing description of my invention, it will now be understood that the color may be applied by hand painting, stenciling or printing. and that while printing on enameled water-proofed fabrics or other materials has hitherto been commercially impossible because a printed character does not resist wear, the effects of the weather, etc., my invention makes is commercially possible to print the matter and enables me to produce signs and the like made of enameled water-proofed material in large quantities and at small expense.

In addition to having made a new and useful method, it is quite apparent that the roduct ofmy method is also new and use- 1. In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan View of a sign embodymg the features of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a hot plate and illustrating the heat treatment step of thereto does not withstand" wear and the effects of the weather because the nonporous condition of the finished surface does not permit of the ink or color penetrating the" surface. Such material usually has a black surface, is a stock proposition, can be bought in the open market, and the specific structure thereof and method of making the same forms no part of the present invention. The lettering or other indicia or ornamental matter 3 is printed or otherwise applied directly to the surface of the material or, if desired the letters may be applied to a panelc of color previously applied to the surface of the material. When the color has become dried the material is placed upon a suitable hot plate 5 heated in any desired manner, as by a gas burner 6. The sheet of material is of course placed upon the hot plate with the back of the material against the late. The enameled surface of the materlal becomes softened under the action of the heat applied under atmospheric conditions, and this softening of the enameled surface is readily discernible to the eye, and when this change occurs the sheet of material is removed from the hot plate and is placed aside to cool and thereby permit the varnish in the enameled surface to harden and bond the color 4 and the lettering 3 to the enameled surface. In Figure 3 of thedrawings the color panel 4 and the lettering 3 have been clearly indicated in their condition before heating, while in Figure 4 these elements have been shown in the condition they assumo after heating, wherein it will be seen that these elements are bonded into the enameled surface 2 and in fact become an 1. The herein described method which I consists in applying color to the varnishcontaining enameled surface of waterproofed flexible material, then subjecting the material to heat suflicient to soften the enameled surface portion which has the color applied thereto, separating the source of heat and the material as soon as the surface thereof becomes softened, and then per mitting the softened surface portion to cool and harden, whereb the color will be bonded by the har ened varnish to the enameled surface.

2. The herein described method which consists in applying color to the varnishcontaining enameled surface of waterproofed fabric, then subjecting the fabric to heat sufficient to soften the enameled surface portion which has the color applied thereto, separating the source of heat and the material as soon as the surface thereof becomes softened, andthen permitting the softened surface portion to cool and harden, whereby the color will be bonded by the hardened varnish to the enameled surface.

3. The herein described method which consists in applying color to the varnish contalning enameled surface 'of waterproofed material, then lacing the material upon a. hot plate with t e enameled surface uppermost and permitting the material to remain thereon until the enameled surface has become soft, and then removing the material and permitting it to cool.

4. The herein described method which consists in printing upon the varnish-containing enameled surface of water-proofed material, then heating the material until the printed surface portion thereof becomes soft, separating the source of heat and the material as soon as the surface thereof becomes softened, and then permitting the softened surface portion to cool and harden whereby the printed matter will be bonded by the hardened varnish to the enameled surface.

5. The herein described method Whldl consists in applying color to the varnishcontaining enameled surface of Waterproofed flexible material, then applying, eat to the back of the material until the colored enameled surface portion has be come soft, separating the source of heat and the material as soon as the surface thereof becomes softened, and then permittin the softened surface portion to 0001 an harden, whereby the color will be bonded by the hardened varnish to the ing the material and permitting the enenameled surface. ameled surface thereof to cool. 10

6. The herein described method which 7. As a new article of manufacture,

consists in printing upon the varnish conwater-proofed fabric provided with a. var- 5 taining enameled surface of flexible waternish containing enameled surface having proofed material, lacing the back of the indicia fused thereto. material against a 01; plate until the enameled surface becomes soft, and then remov- GEORGE A. BONE. 

